REPLY 



OF 



Rev. Johannes Megapolensis * 



PASTOR OF THE CHURCH OF 
NEW AMSTERDAM 



to a letter of 
Father Simon Le Moyne 

A FRENCH JESUIT MISSIONARY 

OF 

CANADA 

1658 



Printed by 

THB COLLEGIATE CHURCH 

Nbw York 

1907 



REPLY 



OF 



Rev. Johannes Megapolensis 

PASTOR OF THE CHURCH OF 
NEW AMSTERDAM 



to a letter f 
Father Simon Le Moyne 

A FRENCH JESUIT MISSIONARY 

OF 

CANADA 

1658 



Printed by 

THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH 

New York 

1907 



/ /XT- 
•I 



' Je'O? 



Introductory Note. 



DOMINE MEGAPOLENSIS AND FATHER LE MOYNE. 

From a letter of Rev. Johannes Megapolensis to the Classis of 
Amsterdam, dated September 28, 1658, we learn a few particulars 
about an interesting discussion between himself and Father Simon 
Le Moyne, a Jesuit missionary among the Mohawks. Father Le 
Moyne accompanied the Indians several times on their visits to 
Fort Orange. At length he visited Manhattan, probably at the 
invitation of Roman Catholics living there, and perhaps especially 
for the sake of the French privateers, who had arrived there with a 
good prize. The following is an extract from this letter of Mega- 
polensis to the Classis : 

"He [Father Le Moyne] represented that he had heard the other 
Jesuits speak much of me, who had also highly praised me for the fa- 
vors and benefits I had shown them ; that he, therefore, could not, 
while present here, neglect personally to pay his respects to me, and 
thank me for the kindness extended to their Society. 1. He told me 
that during his residence among our Indians, he had discovered a 
salt spring, situated fully one hundred [Dutch] miles [three hundred 
English miles] from the sea; and that the water was so salt that he 
had himself boiled excellent salt from it. 2. There was also another 
spring which furnished oil. Oleaginous matter floated on its sur- 
face, with which the Indians anointed their heads. 3. There waS 
another spring of hot sulphurous water.* If paper and dry 
materials were thrown into it, they became ignited. Whether all 
this is true, or a mere Jesuit lie, I will not decide. I mention the 
whole on the responsibility and authority of the Jesuit. 

" He told me that he had lived about twenty years among the 
Indians. When he was asked what fruit had resulted from his 



*The salt springs were probably those at Ononda}>a or Syracuse; the sulphur 
springs those at Richfield or Saratoga. The Five Nations sometimes roamed into 
Pennsylvania, and the oil springs may be those in that State. See page 20 of thii 
pamphlet, and Parkman's "The Old Regime in Canada"; O'Callaghan's "New 
Netherland"; Brodhead's "New York"; "Jesuits' Relatione." 



labors, and whether he had taught the Indians anj^thing more than 
to make the sign of the cross and such-like superstitions, he 
answered that he was not inclined to debate with me, but wanted 
onlj^ to chat. He spent eight days here and examined everything in 
our midst. He then liberally dispensed his indulgences, for he said 
to the Papists (in the hearing of one of our people who understood 
French), that they need not go to Rome; that he had as full power 
from the Pope to forgive their sins, as if they were to go to Rome. 
He then returned and resided in the country of the Mohawks the 
whole winter. 

"In the spring, however, troubles began to arise between our 
Indians and the Canadians. He then packed up his baggage and 
returned to Canada. On his journey, when at Fort Orange, he did 
not forget me, but sent me three Catalogues : the first, on the 
succession of the Popes; the second, on the Councils; and the third 
was about heresies, all written out by himself He sent with them, 
also, a letter to me, in which he exhorted me to peruse carefully 
these Catalogues, and meditate on them, and that Christ hanging 
on the Cross was still ready to receive me, if penitent. I answ^ered 
him by the letter herewith forwarded, which was sent by a yacht 
going from here to the St. Lawrence in New France. I know not 
whether I shall receive an answer." 

(Signed) Johannes Megapolensis. 

September 28th, 1658. 

Ecc. Records of New York, 321, 404, 438-9 

The copy of the letter of Domine Megapolensis to Father 
Le Moyne above referred to was procured from the Archives of 
the Classis of Amsterdam in 1841, by J. Romeyn Brodhead, and is 
now in the Archives of the General Synod at New Brunswick, N. J. 

It was written in the peculiar chirography of two and a half 
centuries ago, in Latin, and the words, as usual, were frequently 
abbreviated. None but an expert in Latin could decipher it. This 
has been done by Prof. Louis Bevier, of Rutgers College, and the 
original and a translation are here printed for the first time as an 
ecclesiastical document of much interest. Professor Kirk, of Rut- 
gers College, has also kindly revised the proof-sheets. 

Edward B. Coe. 

E. T. CORWIN. 



Doctissime Dne (Domine) Simon 
Le Moyne : 
Epistola tua 7. Id. April, con- 
scripta 5. Kal. Mali mihi tradita 
est, cum annexis tuis scedulis seu 
mavis catalogis, quos me dili- 
genter perlegere, et ad sanctuarii 
trutina(m) expendere efflagitas. 



Nescio profecto, mi Dne. (do- 
mine), an tu somniando hos 
catalogos ad me transmiseris, 
an vero tu vigilando me in hunc 
usq(ue) diem, Endymione (m) 
fuisse putaveris et me adeo in 
studendo desidiosum, totum 
vitae meae tempus inutiliter tri- 
visse, ut nqm (nunquam) ante- 
hac similes catalogos, inspexerim, 
legerim, et serio perpenderim. 



Mihi crede Dne (domine) Le 
Moyne idipsum quod me petis, 
multis abliinc annis factum 
fuisse. At vero candide confit- 
eor, me nihil ex iis unqm (un- 
quam) expiscari potuisse, qd 
(quod) vel vros (vestros) detes- 
talDiles errores stabiliet, vel fidem 
orthodoxam, qm (quam) p(ro)- 
fiteor, labefactare valeat. 



Most Learned Mr. Simon Le 
Moyne : 

Your letter, written on the 7th 
of April, was delivered to me on 
28th of April, with the schedules, 
or if you prefer to call them so. 
lists [catalogues] annexed, 
which 3^ou beg me carefully to 
peruse, and weigh in the scales 
of the sanctuary. 

I do not know, indeed, my 
dear sir, whether you trans- 
mitted these Catalogues to me 
when you were dreaming; or 
whether when you were awake, 
you thought me to be an Endy- 
mion,* even to this day; and 
that I have been so derelict in 
study, and have spent my whole 
life so uselessly, as never hitherto 
to have inspected, or read, or 
seriously pondered similar Cata- 
logues. 

Believe me, Mr. Le Moyne, 
that that very thing which \^ou 
ask me (to do), was done by 
me many years ago; but in- 
deed, I candidly confess that 
I have never been able to fish 
out anything from them [Rom- 
ish works] which would either 
establish your detestable errors, 
or have a tendency to under- 
mine the Orthodox Faith which 
I profess. 

Indeed, the Orthodox Faith 
and true religion come not from 
local or personal succession, as 
you falsely pretend ; nor from 



Equide(m) fides orthodoxa, et 
vera religio,t non ex locali aut 
personali successioe (successione) 
quam false p(re)tenditis, neq 

* Eudyinion was a beautiful shepherd boy, who received from Jupiter the boon 
of perpetual sleep. He reposed in a cave in Mt. Latnius in Curia, and was bdovcd 
by Selena, who visited him each ni;^ht.— E. T. C. 

fThis sentence should have been in the accusative— fidem orthodoxam, et veram 
religionera— as it is the object of tenemus. 

5 



(ue) ex hunianis decretis et trad- 
itionibtis, quibus scatetis, sed ex 
iraniutabili et infallibili vbo(Yer- 
bo) Dei in v(etere) et n(ovo) Tes- 
tamento comp(re)henso, hauri- 
endam et confirmandam firmiter 
teneinus. 

Prior tua chartiila est de succes- 
sioe (successione) Pontificu(m) 
Romanoru(m), sed posito, at 
non concesso, talem localem, et 
person alem succioe (succession- 
em) apud vos repiri, (reperiri) qd 
(quid) qso (quaeso) p(er)feceris. 
Etenim qd (quid) prodest anti- 
quitas si non adsit Veritas, quid 
juvat p(er)sonalis successio si 
non adsit veritatis p(ro)fessio 
et ejusdem continuatio ? 

An tu putas Pontifices Judae- 
oru(m), Anna(m), Caipham, et 
similes veram religio(n)e(m) 
habuisse, qa (quamquam?) suam 
successio(n)e(m) deducere poter- 
ant a talibus sacerdotibus, qui 
divinit(u)s erant ordinati et 
q(ui)dem eo in loco, q(ue)m 
Deus specialiter elegerat, et 
talib(u)s privilegiis ornaverat, 
qualia tu nqm (nunquam), licet 
ringaris, de tua Roma demon- 
strare potes. 

Quemadm(odum) ergo succes- 
sio Pontificu(m) Judaeoru(m) 
nihil praestat ad stabiliendos 
eoru(m) errores, q(uo)s contra 
S(anctam) Chri (Christi) doc- 
trina(ra) urgebant. Ita nulla 
vra (vestra) succio (successio) 
(de qua thrasonice gloriaris) 
efficax erit, ad Y(est)ras haer- 
eses et falsa dogmata transub- 
standianda in veritatem divi- 
nam, a qua Roraano-Pontificia 
Eccl(es)ia turpiter atque impie 
apostatavit, q(uo)d facile liquere 



human decrees and traditions, in 
which you abound ; but we hold 
firmly that it must be drawn out 
and established from the immut- 
able and infallible Word of God, 
as contained in the Old and New 
Testaments. 

Your first cartulary is on tlie 
succession of the Roman Pontiffs. 
Now assuming, although not 
granting, that such local and 
personal succession is found with 
you, what, I ask, have you ac- 
complished ? For what avails 
antiquity if truth is not present ? 
What avails personal succession 
if the profession of the truth is 
not present, as well as the con- 
tinuity of the same? 

Do you think that the priests 
of the Jews, Annas and Caia- 
phas, and the like, had the true 
religion ? And yet thej^ were 
able to deduce their succession 
from such priests as were divine- 
ly ordained, and indeed [were or- 
dained] in the very place which 
God had especially chosen and 
endowed with such privileges as 
you never — you may get angry if 
you please — can demonstrate 
concerning your Rome. 

As, therefore, the succession of 
the Jewish priests avails nothing 
at all for the establishment of 
their errors, which they urged 
against the holy doctrine of 
Christ, so no succession of 
yours (concerning which you so 
insolently boast) will be effica- 
cious, to transform your heresies 
and false dogmas into divine 
truth, from which the Roman 
Pontifical church has basely and 
impiously apostatized, as 
may easily be made evident 



potest, unicuiq(ue) qui non 
leberide* caeclor est, et moder- 
nam Romano-Pontificia(m) doc- 
trina(m), aequa mentis 
bilance confert cum verbo 
Prophetaru(m), Evangelis, 
taru(m), et Ap(osto)loru(m) et 
specialiter cum ep(isto)la Pauli 
ad Romanes, vix enim tenebrae 
magis differre possunt a luce 
qaa (m) v(est)ra religio, fides et 
doctrina differt a fide et doc- 
tr(in)a, q(ua)m ap(osto)l(u)s in 
eadem ep(isto)la ad Rom.propo- 
suit, quod facile possem, si liberet, 
in hypotyposi ostendere. 



Cum autem vobis Pappolatris 
successio sit instar Dianae Eplie- 
siae, et nihil vobis communius sit 
quam crepare, Successio, Suc- 
(cess)io, ut olim v(est)ri majores 
apostatae Judaei qiiib(u)s in 
heolomaniaf successistis ingem- 
inantes nidebant, Templu(m) 
Dei, Templu(m) Dei, non immer- 
tibi succenserem, si ad hue pap- 
ismi coeno adhuc immersus 
haerere(m); quod tarn mala fide 
egeris, in contexendo Paparum 
catalog o, q(iia)ndoquide(m) 
studio et malevole omisisti Pap- 
issamjoannam foemina(m),quae 
assumpto virili habitu,tande(m) 
ad sellani pontificia(m) ascendit, 
et instar turpis scorti, succuba 
facta obscaenis amasiis, impreg- 
nata, et suum foetu(m) enixa, 
secundum illud. 



to any one who is not blinder 
than a bat {lit., serpent-skin), 
and who compares the modern 
Roman Pontifical doctrine, with 
an even balance of mind, with 
the words of the prophets, evan- 
gelists and apostles ; and especi- 
ally with the Epistle of Paul to 
the Romans ; for scarcely can 
darkness differ more greatly 
from the light, than your re- 
ligion, faith and doctrine differ 
from the faith and doctrine 
which the apostle propounded in 
that same Epistle to the 
Romans. This I could easily 
show in outline, if I chose to 
do so. 

Since, however, to 3^ou Pope- 
worshippers, ''Succession'' is 
like " (Great is) Diana of the 
Ephesians ; " for nothing is more 
common to you than to cry out 
"Succession, Succession;" as of 
old,3^our ancestors, the apostate 
Jews (to whom you are the suc- 
cessors in your rage for dregs), 
cried out aloud — " The Temple of 
God, The Temple of God (are 
we)": — I should not, unjustly, be 
angered with you if I were, up to 
this time, wholly immersed and 
stuck fast in the mire of papistry, 
for acting in such bad faith in 
drawing up the catalogue of 
the Popes: since, indeed, you 
have purposely and wickedlj' 
omitted the Pope-ess, Joanna, 
a female; who having as- 
sumed masculine attire, finally 
ascended the Pontifical seat; 



*Leberide, from the Greek XeSfipiq, the sloushcd-off skin of a servient. The 
writer here Latinizes this word. The e.\pression, TJ9X6T£po^ \zbr,p>.coc, blinder 
than a serpent's cast-off skin, is cited by Hesychius from Aristophanes. 

t Greek stoXo^JLavta, from 'icoXoq, leavinj^s. scrnps, driys; and '^xy.cc, rage; or 
does it simply mean, "in your insane rage"? 

7 



base strumpet, 
obscene lovers, 
with child, and 
her offspring, as 



Papa Pater Patru(m), peperit 
papissa papillu(ni). 

Et quamvis hie corrugata fronte 
nictetis, et nobis oculos effodere 
Yultis, tame(n) nolentes convin- 
cimini ab ipsismet Papistis His- 
toriographis quam plurimis, qui 
testantur tarn insigne(m) Papis- 
sam, papanae eccliae(ecclesiae) 
caput fuisse, et papillum peper- 
isse. Quid ergo causae fuit, quod 
hanc ex tuo catalogo expunxeris, 
forsan te coegit pia fraus qua 
mihi Calvinistae imponere volu- 
isti. 



Condoleo tibi, te ita Diris 
agitari, ut n(on) Yerit(u)s fueris 
in fronte tui catalog! constituere 
J. Chru(m) (Jesum Christum) 
Salvatore(m) et S. Petrum, 
quasi illi vestrorum erroru(m), 
vel autores vel tutores essent, 
cum tamen ipsa meridie clarius 
sit, vestras opiniones, e(x)tra, 
praeter et contra S. Scripturam 
confut[ ? *], toto quod aiunt 
coelo, a Chr(ist)i et S. Petri doc- 
(t)rina differre, et longissime 
distare. 



Dubito etiam an jjp. (propter) 
horrendam tua(m) Ijlasphe- 
mia(m) succensio(n)e an vero 
commiser(ati)o(n)e dignior 



* Manuscript is mutilated here, 
how the word should be filled out. 



and like a 
lying with 
became great 
brought forth 
the verse runs — 

"The Pope, the Father of the 
Fathers — being a pope-ess — 
brought forth a little pope." 
And although right here, you may 
shake your head [lit. blink] with 
wrinkled brow, and wish to tear 
out our eyes ; nevertheless, you 
are convicted unwillingh^ by 
very many papist historians 
themselves, who bear witness 
that this so greatly renowned 
Female Pope was the Head of 
the Papal Church, and brought 
forth a popelet. But what was 
the reason that you expunged 
her name from your Catalogue ? 
Perhaps pious fraud compelled 
j^ou, whereby you hoped to 
deceive me, a Calvinist. 

I pity you, that 3^ou are so 
driven by the furies, that you 
have not feared to place in the 
forefront of your Catalogue, 
Jesus Christ the Saviour, and 
Saint Peter, as if they were 
either the authors or the cham- 
pions of your errors ; although it 
is clearer than the ver3^ noonday, 
that 3^our opinions are outside 
of, beside, and contrary to, the 
Holy Scripture; differing from 
the doctrine of Christ and Saint 
Peter by "a wdiole heaven, " 
as they say, being at the very 
farthest remove from them. 

I am even in doubt, whether, 
on account of your dreadful blas- 
phem3% you are more worthy of 
anger or of pity ; because you 

.\ad although confut — is plain, it is not clear 
Confutare does not seem suitable. 
8 



sis 



qnod J. Chro (Jesti Christo), non 
Romano-Pontificae, sed sanctae 
eccl(es)iae catholicae capiti, tam 
impura et monstrosa membra 
assuere coneris. 

Quis enim ignorat quihistorias 
tantum obliquis oculis inspexit 
jam multis saeculis, a tempore 
Gregorii Magni, episcoporti (m) 
Rom. bonoru (m) ultimi, et 
maloru(m) primi, inter vestros 
Pontificesplurimosfuisse,impios, 
atlieos, epicuraeos, magos,cinae- 
dos, sodomitas, et si quid deter- 
ius dici potest, imo quosdam 
eorii(m) magis bestias et diab- 
olos incarnates, quam homines 
fuisse, teste Platina, etc. 



Cur igitur tu tales Dagones in 
eodem loco cum area D(omi)ni 
erigere satagis? Cur tu tales 
Beliales, cumChro(Cliristo)com- 
munione(m) habuisse, asserere 
no(n) erubescis? 

Secunda tua chartula continet 
annotationem Conciliorum, qua 
p(ro)bare vis Spiritu(m) S. Eclia 
(Ecclesiam) Cliri (Christi) spon- 
sa(m) nunq(ua)m deseruisse. 
Sed quare tu insaniens cum pro- 
pria tua umbra luctaris? Quis 
praeter te somniantem dixit 
Spiritu(m) S. Ecclia Chri (Ec- 
clesiam Christi) sponsam dese- 
rere aut deseruisse vel unq(ua)m 
deserturum? Etenim ex vbo 
(verbo) Dei edocti sumus, credi- 



have attempted to attach such 
impure and hideous members to 
Jesus Christ, who was not the 
head of the Roman Pontifical 
Church, but of the Holy Catholic 
Church. 

For who is ignorant, that has 
inspected history'- with even a 
careless glance, that for many 
centuries past, from the time of 
Gregorv the Great, the last of 
the good Roman Bishops, and 
the first of the bad ones, there 
have been among your Pontiffs 
many impious ones: atheists, 
epicureans, diviners, lewd fel- 
lov.'s, sodomites ; and worse still, 
if an^^thing can be worse, even 
certain ones among them, who 
were beasts and devils incarnate, 
rather than men ; according to 
the witness of Platina* and 
others. 

Why, therefore, do you desire 
to set up such Dagons in the 
same place as the Ark of the 
Lord ? Why do you not blush 
to assert that such Belials have 
had fellow^ship w4th Christ ? 

Your second cartulary contains 
a list of the Councils, by which 
you wish to prove that the Holy 
Spirit has ncA'cr forsaken the 
Church — the bride of Christ. But 
why do you, like an insane man, 
wrestle with 3'our own shadow ? 
Who has said, unless yourself 
when dreaming, that the Holy 
Spirit deserts, or has deserted, or 
ever will desert the Church, the 
bride of Christ? For from the 
Word of God we ha ve been taught, 



•Platina, born in 1421, wrote a history of the Popes, which was first printed in 
1479, and two other editions soon followed. Later editions have had objectionable 
passages eliminated. — E. T. C. 

9 



nius atq(nc) asserimus, Clir(ist)- 
uiii caclestem sponsum, cum sua 
Eccl(es)ia catholica, spirituale 
connubium inivisse, earn sibi in 
aetcrnu(ni) desponsavisse, per- 
petuum gra(ti)ae foedus cutn ea 
pepegisse, nee ab ea suo spiritu 
recessisse, recedere, aut unq(ua) in 
recessuru(m) esse. 



Quid vero tu inde concludere 
vis? Ergo papizans grex et 
rasa ista turba est Chri Eclia 
(Christi Ecclesia) ejusque sponsa, 
cui Chrts (Christus) suum Spirit- 
um nunquam stibtracturus sit ? 
Sed crasse.mi Dne(Domine),hallu- 
ci naris,qd(quod)tu promissiones 
electae ecliae (ecclesiae) Catho- 
licae factas ad particularem 
eclia (ecclesiam) Romanam as- 
tringere anniteris. Tune putas 
Spiritum S. Ecclia (Ecclesiam) 
suam deserturum nisi Romae in 
arce Antichristi sit quasi palo 
alligatus, aut in scrinio pectoris 
pontificii conclusus constringa- 
tur? Sodes cedo vel unicum 
Scripturae locum qui p(rae)bet 
Spiritus S. assistentia(m) magis 
promissa(m) esse Romanae 
Eccl(es)iae, quam Hierosolymi- 
tanae, Ephesiae, Alexandrinae, 
Laodicenae, etc. Profecto si ulli 
Eccliae (Ecclesiae) tale privi- 
legium attribuendura esset, turn 
illud non Romanae, sed Jerusoly- 
mitanae competeret. 



Confitemur quidem tempore 
ap(osto)loru(m), et aliqb(aliqui- 
bus) subsequentibus saeculis, 
Romae fuisse bonos et pios pas- 
tores et episcopos, quiCbri(Chri- 



and believe and assert, that 
Christ, the Heavenly Bridegroom, 
has entered upon a spiritual mar- 
riage with His Catholic Church, 
and has espoused her to Himself 
forever ; has made an Everlast- 
ing Covenant of Grace with 
her; and in His Spirit, has not 
withdrawn from her, does not 
withdraw, and never will with- 
draw. 

But what, indeed, do 3'ou wish 
to conclude from this ? That 
therefore that papalizing herd, 
that tonsured rabble, is the 
Churchof Christ, even His bride? 
and that from them Christ will 
never withdraw His Spirit? But, 
my dear sir, you are laboring 
under a gross hallucination, in 
that you strive to limit the prom- 
ises made to the elect Catholic 
Church, to the Roman Church in 
particular. Do you imagine 
that the Holy Spirit will desert 
His Church, unless He be, as it 
were, bound to the stake, in the 
citadel of Antichrist, at Rome, 
or be boxed up in the Pope's 
bosom? Give me, if you can, 
even a single passage of Scrip- 
ture, which shows that the 
assistance of the Holy Spirit 
is promised more to the Roman 
Church than to that of Jerusa- 
lem, or Ephesus, or Alexandria, 
or Laodicea, etc. Assured^, if 
to an3'^ Church it had been neces- 
sary to accord such a privilege, it 
would belong, not to the Roman 
Church, but to that of Jerusalem. 

We confess, indeed, that in the 
time of the Apostles, and for 
some centuries following, there 
were at Rome good and pious 
pastors and bishops, who 



10 



sti) doctrina(ni) praedicabant, 
orationi intendebant, populum 
docebant, et qsi (quasi) pontem 
ad coelum extruebant viamque 
vitae, bono exeraplo praeeundo, 
monstrabant: 

Et consequenter cotifiteraur 
Chru (Christum) etiara suam 
eclia (ecclesiam) Romae habuisse, 
sicut Corinthi, Athenis, Antioch- 
iae, etc., at vero quemadmodum 
Deus pp. (propter) hou (liorum) 
peccata, ingratitudine(m), vbi 
(verbi) divini contemptum, etc., 
secunduin suas minas candela- 
bru(m) suu(m) removit ex hisce 
locis, vinea(m) suam ab iis aufe- 
rens aliis earn elocavit. Eodem 
etiam modo sese res habet cu(m) 
Romana Ecclia(Ecclesia). Adeo 
ut modernu(m) papalera gregem 
non agnoscamus Chri Eclia 
(Christi Ecclesiam), aut mem- 
bru(m) ejus, sed Antichristi 
faecera. Postquara enim diabolus 
per homine(m) peccati solium 
suu(m) Romae fixit, Yra(vestra) 
Roma facta est meretrix Bab^^- 
lonica, quae ebria sa(n)guiiie 
S.S. (sanctorum) martyru(m) 
reges terrae vino idololatriae 
suae inebriavit et intoxicavit. 

Vix capio quare tu indicem 
concilioru(m) descripseris et ad 
me miseris, nisi forsan ostenta- 
tionis caa(causa) id fecerisuthoc 
quasi Medusae capiteet horrenda 
larva me terreres, ac si oia 
(omnia) concilia a vris (vestris) 
starent partibus. Dne (Doniine) 
Le Moyne non recusamus debi- 
tum honore(m) deferre legitimis 
conciliis, in qbus ((piibus) Spiri- 
tus S. praesidet, et vbo (verbo) 



preached the doctrine of Christ, 
who were earnest in their pray- 
ers; who tauglit the people, 
and who built as it were, a 
bridge to heaven, and showed 
the way of life by setting a 
good example : 

And, consequently, we confess 
that Christ had his Church even 
at Rome, just as He had it at 
Corinth, at Athens, and at Anti- 
och, etc., but even as God, on 
account of their sins, ingratitude, 
contempt of the Divine Word, 
etc., according to His threats, 
removed His candlestick from 
these places, taking His vineyard 
from them, and giving it out to 
others : in like manner is it now 
with the Roman Church ; so that 
we do not recognize the modern 
papal herd as the Church ot" 
Christ, nor even, as a member of 
Him ; but as the dregs of Anti- 
christ. For after that the devil, 
through the man of sin, fixed his 
throne at Rome, your Rome 
became the Babylonish harlot, 
who, drunk with the blood of 
the holy martyrs, has made the 
kings of the earth drunk and 
poisoned them with the wine of 
her idolatry. 

I scarcely understand why you 
have written down a list of the 
Councils and sent it to me 
unless perhaps you have done it 
for the sake of show; in order 
thereby to terrify- me, as if by a 
Medusa's head and a dreadful 
mask, and as if all the Councils 
stood on your side. Mr. Le 
Moyne, we do not refuse to give 
the honor which is due to the 
legitimate Councils, in which the 



11 



Dei rcguiitiir: qiialia etiiim cotifi- 
tennir fuisse inter ilia quae tu 
annotasti. Interim tame(n) te 
scire velim, nos adeo sttipidos et 
caecos non ee (esse) qnin facile 
videre possimus, quaedam il- 
loru(in) concilioru(m) fuisse il- 
legitima, in qbus (quibus) non 
Spiritus S. sed diabolus potius 
praefuit, et plures errores, 
haereses, et falsa dogmata 
approbata ut apparet in secundo 
Niceno, Epliesmo, etc., praesertim 
vero in concilio Tridentino, licet 
enim illud a vobis magni aesti- 
metur, tamen non ignoramus 
plures in eo errores sancitos et 
approbatos, quam [?] sunt can- 
ones quin [?] regulae, c^d (quod) 
demonstrari facillime posset si 
luberet istara Camarina(m) mo- 
ver e. 



Vix etiam crediderim, quan- 
tumvis Yos Papis emancipastis, 
vos oia (omnia) recipere, quae in 
iis a te annotatis conciliis sunt 
definita, vel a Papis constituta; 
quandoqde(quidem) tam concilia 
quam papae sibi mutuo contra- 
dixerunt, et quod ab uno erat 
constitutum, rursus ab altero 
abrogatum et condemnatum. 
Non puto te etiam nescire tales 
Papas fuisse, qui abrogarunt ea, 



Hoh'- Spirit presides, and which 
are governed by the Word of 
God. Of such, we confess there 
have been some, among those 
which you have noted ; neverthe- 
less, I wish you to know that 
we are not so stupid and blind, 
but that we are able easily to 
see, that certain of those Coun- 
cils have been illegitimate, in 
which not the Hoh' Spirit, but 
rather the devil, presided; and 
many errors, heresies and false 
doctrines were approved ; as 
appears in the second Nicene 
(Council), in that of Ephesus, 
and especialh', indeed, in the 
Tridentine Council ; for although 
that one is held in high esteem 
by you, yet we are not ignor- 
ant that man\'' errors were 
sanctioned and approved in it, 
which are Canons, yea, Rules, as 
could be easily shown, if I chose 
to move that Camarina.* 

I should, indeed, hardly believe, 
however much you defer to the 
Popes, that 3'ou accept all things 
which are defined in those Coun- 
cils noted by you, or which have 
been settled by the Popes; when, 
indeed, not only Councils but 
also Popes have mutually con- 
tradicted one another; and when 
what was established b^- one, 
was annulled and condemned by 
another. Nor do I think that 



*Thatis: If I chose "to stir up that foul, or pestilent bog." Camarina was a 
bog, near the city of the same name, in Sicily. The inhabitants of the city consulted 
the Delphic oracle as to whether they should drain the bog, and received the reply: 
My) X'.VcIv Ka;j.a?(vaV dvAvqioq ya? a^xslvtov,— " Do not stir up Camarina; it is 
better left unstirred." The first half became a proverb, meaning— "Don't nitddlc 
with unpleasant things." Virgil alludes to the matter thus : 

Et iatis niuiquam conccssa moveri 

Apparet Camarina procul 

"And at a distance appears the lake Camarina, by fate forbidden ever to be 
removed." (.Veneid, iii, 700.) 

12 



quae ab aliis Papis erant statu- 
minata, quin non pepercerint 
cadaveribus praecessorum. 



Cum autera videam te conciliis 
tanquam Herculis columnis in- 
niti, lubens a te docere vellem, 
quid tu concilium nomines, aut 
qui et quales, tuo judicio coti- 
stituant aut efficiant concilium. 



Licet enim ab ipsa juventute 
in papismo educatus sim, et 
multis annis in scholis vris 
(vestris) litteris opera(m) ded- 
erim, tame(n) non diffiteor, me 
adhuc tarn stupidum ee(esse), ut 
nesciam quid apud papistas 
concilium sit, aut quina(m) illud 
efficiant. 

Nam sine dubio laici et com- 
munis plebs non constituunt 
concilium; neq(ue) etia(m) cler- 
ici, sacrificuli, missifices, et alia 
rasa turba, quae [qui?] charac- 
terem bestiae in fronte et manu 
dextra acceperunt, neq(ue) etiam 
antistites, abbates, episcopi, 
archiepiscopi, cardinales, seor- 
sum considerati, quin ne quidem 
congregati ; nisi ilia congregatio 
autoritate et bulla pontificis sit 
facta, et Pontifex vel per se, vel 
per suos delegatos, praesideat. 



At et hos tali modo congre- 
gatos conciliu(m) facere, aut 
constituere non sine caa (causa) 
dubitari potest, licet enim tales 
ecliae (ecclesiae) Papanae pri- 



you are ignorant of the fact that 
there have been Popes who have 
annulled those things which have 
been established by other Popes, 
nay, have not even spared the 
dead bodies of their predecessors. 

Since, however, I perceive that 
you rely upon Councils, as upon 
the Pillars of Hercules, I would 
gladly be instructed b\'- you just 
what you mean b3^ a Council ; 
or who and what men, in your 
judgment, constitute or make a 
Council ? 

For, although from mj^ earliest 
3^outh, I was educated in the 
Papacy, and for many years 
studied in your schools, never- 
theless I do not deny that hither- 
to I have been so stupid that I 
do not know what is considered 
a Council amoiig papists, or who 
make it. 

For certainly the laity and 
common people do not consti- 
tute a Council ; nor even the 
clergy, the sacrificial priests — 
those who celebrate the Mass, 
and all the rest of that tonsured 
crowd, who have received the 
mark of the beast on their fore- 
head and in their right hand ; 
nor even the princes of the church, 
abbots, bishops, archbishops, car- 
dinals, separately considered, 
nay, not even when considered 
collectively ; unless that Assem- 
bly is made b\^ the authority and 
bull of the Pontiff, and the 
Pontiif, either himself or by his 
delegates, presides. 

But that the coming together 
of even these, and in such a 
manner, makes or constitutes a 
Council can be doubted, not with- 
out cause. For although such 



13 



mates, din consnltu(m) delib- 
erent, et tandem concltidant, 
et canones sanciant, nullius 
taiTie(n) momenti sunt, nisi 
Papa siio anhelatu afflave(ri)t, 
et suo suffragio conclusiones 
primatn(m) approbaverit : id- 
circo ego judico, secundu(m) vra 
(vestram) opinioe (opinionem), 
Pontifice(m) apttd vos esse caput 
Eccliae (Ecclesiae), fundamen- 
tuin Eccliae (Ecclesiae), ipsam 
Ecclia (Ecclesiam); et con 
cilium oecumenicuni Ecliae 
(Ecclesiae), et oe ( cm nem) Ecliae 
(Ecclesiae) certitndinem quoad 
doctrina(m) in cerebello Pon- 
tificis, tanquam cardine suo, vrti 
(verti) et ex hoctripodead totam 
vra (vestram) Eclia (Ecclesiam) 
p(er)manare, quod si in hoc meo 
judicio errem excusato mea(m) 
stupore(m) et melius me de hac 
re doceto. 



Tertius tuus index complectitur 
enumeroe(enumerationem) haer- 
eticoru(m) (ut vocas) qui ab 
ecclia (ecclesia) defecerunt, et in 
hoc exercitu statuis Judam 
proditore(m) qsi (quasi) archi- 
strategum duce(m)* aciem hujus 
turbae. Calvinu(m) vere ad 
extremum agmen rejecisse vi- 
deris, ut claudat tergum hujus 
exercitus et opisthioph ylaces [sic] 
adducat. Sed sicut tibi antea 
dixi, te blasphemiae reum esse eo 
quod in priori catalogo, Chro 
(Christo) Redemptori nro (nos- 
tro) tarn monstrosum corpus, et 
tam putrid a membra aggluti- 
nare volueris, ita oportet me de- 
nuo te accusare maximi erroris, 

•Corrected to duccnte[m). 



papal dignitaries of the Church 
deliberate long and carefullj-, and 
at length reach a conclusion, and 
sanction certain canons, yet they 
are of no moment, unless the 
Pope has breathed upon them 
with his breath, and by his 
assent has approved these con- 
clusions of said dignitaries. 
Therefore I judge that, according 
to your view of the matter, the 
Pontiff is the Head of the 
Church, the foundation of the 
Church, the very Church itself; 
and that the Ecumenical Council 
of the Church, and every war- 
rant of the Church, as far as 
doctrine is concerned, turns upon 
the cerebellum of the Pontiff, as 
upon its axis, and from this tri- 
pod permeates to every part of 
3'our Church. If in this judg- 
ment of mine 1 am in error, 
excuse my dullness, and teach me 
better concerning it. 

Your third list embraces the 
enumeration of heretics (as you 
call them), who have revolted 
from the Church ; and in this 
arniA' you place Judas, the trai- 
tor, as it were the Commander- 
in-chief, leading the battle-line of 
this crowd. You seem to have 
put Calvin, indeed, at the ex- 
treme end of this line, that he 
ma}^ close the back end of this 
army, and bring up the rear 
guard. But as I said to you 
before, you are guilty of blas- 
phemy, in that you wished in 
your former Catalogue, to at- 
tach such a hideous bod^', and 
such rotten members, to Christ, 
our Redeemer ; so it behooves me 



14 



imo malitiae, quod Judae Dni 
(Domini) sui proditori associare 
voluerisnru(nostruni) Calvinum, 
cum utnusq(ue) actiones e dia- 
metro repug^nent nee ullam 
communioe(communionem) hab- 
eant. Judas enim defecit a Chro 
(Christo) ad pontifices, Phari- 
saeos, et sacerdotes vatinian- 
os,[?] Chri(Christi) hostes, Cal- 
vinus vero, relicto Judaizante 
papismo, Chro (Christo) se ad- 
junxit, et unice adhaesit. 
Judas falsitatis osculo, Chru 
(Christum) suum Dnu (Domi- 
num), saevis tyrannis et rabidae 
turbae tradidit; Calvinus autem 
benedictuin illud Dei nri (nostri) 
instrumentu(m), aspirante di- 
vino Numine, Chru (Christum), 
ejus vbum (verbum), merita, 
spirituale ejus corpus, a Romanis 
Harpyis, et crudelib(u)s persecu- 
toribus misere oppressum et 
vexatu(m) vindicavit. 

Judas Chru (Christum) rejecit 
ejus vbum (verbum), doctrinam, 
et adraonitiones contempsit. 
Calvinus contra Chri (Christi) 
satisfactiones ejusq(ue) merita 
apud vos pessundata, postlim- 
inio reduxit, et redemptionis 
Chri (Christi) lytru(m) sartum 
tectum conservare docuit. 



Si itaq(ue) sinciput tibi 
sanu(m) est, tum certo certius 
caecutis, quod non videris, nullos 
mortaliu(m) Judae, Dni (Domini) 
sui proditori et venditori, simili- 
ores esse, qua(m) sint* Pontifices 
et tota Romana turba, quae 
habet characterera, nomen bes- 



now to accuse you of a very 
great error, nay, of malice, in 
that you wish to associate our 
Ca]"in with Judas, the betra3'er 
of his Lord ; although the actions 
of the«e two are diametrically 
opposed to each other, neither, 
indeed, have they anything in 
common ; for Judas revolted 
from Christ, going over to the 
pontiffs, pharisees and [wicked?] 
priests, the enemies of Christ ; 
but Calvin, forsaking the juda- 
izing Papacy, joined himself unto 
Christ, and clung to Him alone. 
Judas, by the kiss of h3'pocrisy, 
delivered Christ, his Lord, unto 
cruel tyrants, and to the rabid 
crowd, but Calvin, that blessed 
instrument of our God, by the 
inspiration of divine power, 
vindicated Christ, and His Word, 
and Plis merits, and His spiritual 
body which was miserably op- 
pressed and harassed by Roman 
harpies and cruel persecutors. 

Judas rejected Christ ; and His 
Word, His doctrine and His 
admonitions he despised. Cal- 
vin, on the contrary, brought 
back to its old place the (doc- 
trine of the) satisfaction of 
Christ, and His merits, which 
had been trodden under foot by 
you : and taught that we must 
preserve intact the ransom price 
of Christ's redemption. 

If, therefore, your noddle is 
sound, then you are blind for 
certain, in that you do not see 
that no mortals are more like 
Judas, who l)etrayed and sold 
his Lord, than are the Pontiffs, 
and that whole Roman crowd, 
which has the mark and the 



Siat is added in margin. 



15 



tiae, et numeru(m) nominis eius, 
ide()(|(uc) potestatem habent 
cmciidi et vcndendi. Quid enim 
communius in Papismo, quani 
ad exemplnni Judae Ischariotae 
Cliru (Christiiiu) vbis (verbis) 
appcllare Rabbi, Dnu(Dominum) 
et Salvatorem; interim Chru 
(Christum) quoad officiu(m) 
ejus propheticu(m), sacerdotale, 
et regiu(m) alinegare reipsa, id 
ra])ae, missificibus,ct aliis creat- 
uris attribuere. Aniion vosestis 
ii.qui rejecto* sancto et communi 
nomine Christian©, blaspheme 
vobis arrogastis no men Jesu- 
Vitae, ut ita videremini instar 
Judae proditoris Chru (Chris- 
tum) exosculari, et Dnu (Domi- 
num) agnoscere, interim con- 
temptis, venditis et pessundatis 
Chri(Christi)meritisetmandatis, 
ad Ignatii Lo^'olae, Frans. 
Xaveriietalioru(m) commenticia 
merita, indulgentias, et satis- 
factiones confugitis, et homines 
ad idem faciendum incitatis. 
Experto credendum Ruperto; 
oia (omnia) enim ista saepius 
legi, audivi, vidi, feci, praesertim 
cum Coloniae Agrippinae stud- 
erem, et Ignatii et Xaverii 
apotheosis celebraretur,tum enim 
vidi non tantum eorundem 
si mulach ra circu ( m ) lerri , veru( m ) 
etiamdetritam Ignatii hicernam, 
in pheretro expansam, tanquara 
insignia et eximia sebasmata ad 
venerandum per totani urbeni 
deportari. 



Nonne Papa vester per suas 

^Rejecto \ii atldvd in margin. 



name of the beast, and the 
number of his name ;t and so have 
the power of bu\'ing and selling. 
For what is more common in the 
Papacy than, after the example 
of Judas Iscariot, to call Christ, 
in your speech, Rabbi, Lord, and 
Saviour ; and meanwhile, in very 
fact to deny Christ, with respect 
to His prophetical, priestly and 
kingly offices, and to attribute 
the same to the Pope, or to 
those who celebrate mass, and 
to other mere creatures. Or are 
you not those very ones, who 
having rejected the holy and 
universal name of " Christians," 
have blasphemously arrogated 
to yourselves the name of 
"Jesuits," so that thus you seem 
to be like Judas the traitor, to 
kiss Christ and recognize Him as 
the Lord, while meantime a'^ou 
despise, and sell and tread under 
your feet the merits and com- 
mands of Christ, and take refuge 
in the fictitious merits, indulgen- 
ces, and (vicarious) satisfactions 
of Ignatius Loj^ola, Francis 
Xavier, and others ; and urge 
men on to do the same. Ru- 
pert speaks from ex])erience; 
for all those things I have often 
read, heard, seen, and done, 
especially when I was studying 
at Cologne, and the apotheosis 
of Ignatius and Xavier was 
celebrated. For then I saw not 
only their images borne about, 
but even a worn-out cloak of 
Ignatius, spread out on a frame, 
as a noble and worthy relic, and 
carried through the whole city 
as an object of veneration. 
Does not your Pope through 

t Revelation xlii:17, 18. 



16 



bullas, indulgentias, et similia 
anilia, ipsi vero utilia, Chris- 
tu(m), ejus merita, caelum et 
oia (omnia) sacra instar Judae 
proditoris sacrilege vendit; ut 
vere Mantuanus de hac sacrilega 
nunditione(nundinatione) canat ; 

Venalia Romae 
Templa, sacerdotes, altaria 

sacra, coronae, 
Ignis, tliura, preces, caelum est 
venale Deusq(ue). 
Quare melius et verius egisses, 
et catalogum ac numeru(m) 
haereticoru(m) Judae socioru(m) 
et successoru(m) ejus aliqnto 
(aliquanto) potuisses augere, si 
deletis et omissis nonnulloru(m) 
(quos tu false haereticos appellas) 
nominibus, eorum loco surrogas- 
ses, et Judae Ischariotae socios 
adjunxisses, Franciscanos, Mont- 
olivetanos, Minoritas, Cap- 
ucinos, Discalceatos, Antonitas, 
Carmelitas, Dominicanos, Bene- 
dictines, Cruciferas, Alexinanos, 
Magdalenitas, et vos Loyolitas, 
etc. 



Deinde hisce masculini generis 
Judaitis,*addidisses etiam faenii- 
nini generis, Judaissas nempe, 
Agathissas, Ursulissas, Clarissas, 
atq(ue) vestras Jesuitissas, quas 
memini me Coloniae vidisse et 
similes hujus faecis. 

Ouamvis vos oes(omnes) latere 
vultis et concludi in alveario 
Ecliae (Ecclesiae) pontificae . . . 
hoc tamen pallio nee teguntur 

•Judaitis, from Judaitae, Juda-ites, or followers of Judas, is formed by the writer 
on the analogy of Jesuitae, Jesu-ites, Jesuits. 

17 



his bulls, indulgences, and similar 
old wives' fables, profitable indeed 
to himself, sacrilegiously sell 
Christ and His merits, heaven, 
and all sacred things, just like 
Judas, the traitor, so that the 
Alantuan bard truly sings concer- 
ning this sacrilegious commerce : 

For Sale at Rome, 
Temples, Priests, Sacred Altars, 
Crowns, Fires, Incense, Prayers, 
yea. Heaven is for sale, and — 
God! 

Therefore you would have 
acted better and more trul3% and 
would have been able somewhat 
to increase the catalogue and 
number of the heretics, the com- 
panions and successors of Judas, 
if you had crossed off and omit- 
ted the names of some whom 
you falsely' call heretics; and in 
their place, had added and 
annexed as companions of Judas 
Iscariot — the Franciscans, Orders 
of the Monks of Alt. Olivet, 
Minorites, Capuchins, Bare- 
footed Friars, Followers of St. 
Anthony, Carmelites, Domini- 
cans, Benedictines, Cross-bearers, 
Alexians, Magdalene Monks, and 
you Loyolites, etc. 

Then to these Juda-ites of the 
masculine gender, you ought to 
have added some Juda-esses of the 
feminine gender, as the .\gath- 
ites, UrsuHnes, Clarissites, and 
your Jesuit-esses, whom I re- 
member to have seen at Cologne ; 
and the likes of these dregs. 

And although 3-011 all wish to 
lie hid and remain enclosed in the 
hive of the Pontifical Church ; 
nevertheless bv this cloak are 



nee tolluntur errores quibus 
abundatis, et a vera Chri 
Eclia (Christi Ecclesia) et salutis 
via devii abitis. 

Agnosco sane in t(u)o indice 
plnrinios referri, qui revera 
haeretici fuerunt, et horrenda 
opinionu(m) et falsoru(m) dog- 
ni(a)tti(m) monstra pej^ererunt. 
Interim etiam vi(d)eo, te in isto 
catalogo haereticos proelamare 
quos tatne(n) nulli Antichristi 
satellites de haeresi eonvineere 
potuerunt, nisi convitia (con- 
vieia?) vra(vestra), falsas acctts- 
atio(n)es, condemnoes (condem- 
nationes), et conbustiones 
apodixes esse putes ; et veritatis 
doctrina(m) ex vbo(vcrbo) Dei 
haustam haeresim esse (ar)- 
bitreris. 

Quid enim tibi Jesuita in 
nro (nostro) Calvino haereticu- 
(m) est, nisi quod caa(causam) 
procatarctica(m?) electionis non 
statuerit opera praevisa congrui 
et condigni, etc., ut vos fabu- 
lamini ; sed sanctum Dei 
nri(nostri) beneplac(it)u(m). 

Quid vobis Papicolis in Calvino 
nro (nostro) haereticu(m) est, 
quam quod repudiatis ves- 
troru(m) figmentoru(m) phular- 
is [sic], et rejectis humanaru(m) 
traditionu(m) quisquiliis, praedi- 
caverit J. Chru(Jesum Christum) 
esse unicum et solum nru (nos- 
trum) sal vatorem, advocatum et 
mediatore(m), qui una sui cor- 
poris oblatione consummavit in 
perpetuu(m) sanctificandos. 

Quid vobis idololatris in 
nro (nostro) Calvino haere- 
ticu(m) est, nisi quod oia 
nra(omnia nostra) bona opera 



neither covered nor removed the 
errors in which jou abound, and 
by which you wander from the 
true Church of Christ and from 
the way of salvation. 

I recognize, indeed, in your list 
that ver^-- many are cited who in 
very truth were heretics, and 
who have brought forth dreadful 
monstrosities of opinions and 
false dogmas. Yet I see that 
you, in that same Catalogue, 
proclaim as heretics those whom 
no satellites of Antichrist 
could convict of heresy, unless 
you think that your revilings, 
false accusations, condemna- 
tions, and burnings at the stake 
are proof; and imagine that the 
doctrine of truth, derived from 
the Word of God, is heresy. 

For what is heretical to you, 
O Jesuit, in our Calvin, except 
that he has not set down, as the 
original cause of election , foreseen 
works, ^^ congrui et condigni,^^ 
etc., as you pretend; but, the 
holy good-pleasure of our God ? 

What is heretical to you 
Pope-worshippers, in our Calvin, 
except that the nonsense of j-our 
figments is repudiated, and the 
trifles of human traditions are 
rejected ; and that he proclaimed 
Jesus Christ to be our unique and 
only Saviour, Advocate and 
Mediator, who by the one offer- 
ing of His body has perfected 
forever those who are to be 
sanctified ? 

What is heretical to you 
idolators, in our Calvin, except 
that he taught that all our good 
deeds should be done not from 



18 



docuerit fieri debere non ex 
intentione humana, sed ad 
vbi(verbi) divini norma (m); non 
ut iis quidquam prom[er]eamur, 
sed ut Deo debitam gratitudinem 
exhibeanius, proxiniu(m) aedi- 
ficemus, fidem nra (nostram) 
demonstremus, et Deum in 
nra (nostra) anima et corpore 
glorificemus. 

Quid deniq(ue) vobis Jesuitis 
in nro (nostro) Calvino, in ejus 
scriptis et doctrina,haereticu(m) 
est, nisi quod animose et con- 
stanter homines docuerit, ut 
deserto execrando missae 
vrae (vestrae) idolo, ab ipso 
diabolo ad annihilandum 
Chru (Christum) unicu(m) pro- 
pitiatoriu(m) sacrificu(m) excog- 
itate ; ut relicto fictitio igne 
purgatorio ad crumenas hom- 
inu(m) purgandas ab avaris 
inissicibus(missificibus) excitato, 
ut repudiatis, confictis hom- 
inu(m) meritis, satisfactionibus, 
inanibus superstitionibus, per- 
egrinationibus, defunctoru(m) 
invocationibus et similiu(m) 
fabularu(m) rejectamentis pro- 
fligatis ; recta ad Chru (Christum) 
ejusq(ue) merita contendere(n)t 
qui non tantum oneratos ad se 
vocat, sed etiam relevatione(m) 
et requiem p(ro)mittit. 



mere human motives, but accor- 
ding to the Norm of the Divine 
Word ; not that we may gain 
anything by them, but that 
v^e may exhibit the gratitude 
which is due (from us) to God; 
that we may edify our neighl)or, 
and show our faith, and with 
our soul and body glorify God ? 

And, finally, what is heretical 
to you Jesuits, in our Calvin, 
in his writings and doctrine, 
except that, boldly and constant- 
ly, he taught men, that, forsak- 
ing the execral)le idolatry of your 
mass, invented by the devil 
himself for tlie destruction of 
Christ as the unique propitiatory 
sacrifice ; that leaving the fabled 
purgatorial fires, kindled b^' ava- 
ricious celebrators of the mass, 
for the emptying of the purses of 
men ; that repudiating the ficti- 
tious merits, satisfactions, inane 
superstitions, and pilgrimages of 
men, wdth invocations made to 
the dead, and the wretched off- 
scourings of such like fables ; 
they might march straight to 
Christ and His merits, who calls 
not only the burdened ones to 
himself, but also promises them 
relief and peace ? 



Et haec est unica et firma mea 
consolatio utrumq(ue) in vita et 
morte, quod J. Chrus (Jesus 
Christus) in trabe crucis pendens, 
pro nobis maledictio factus est, 
devios peccatores ad resipiscen- 
tiam vocat, atq(ue) gratiose 
amplectitur. Detestor etiam ex 
intimo animi affectu praeteritam 
meam infamiam, me nimis diu 



And this is m3' only and sure 
consolation, in both my life and 
my death, that Jesus Christ, 
hanging on the Tree of the Cross, 
was made a curse for us; that 
He calls lost sinners to repent- 
ance, and graciously embraces 
us. I detest even from the 
bottom of nn' heart my for- 
mer dishonor; that I for too 



19 



(leviij(ni) fuisse al) ipsa veraChri 
(Clirlsti) Eclia (Ecclesia), et a 
sal litis via aberrasse, cum in 
juventute usq(ue) ad annu(m) 
23 aetatis meae in papisnio 
degens, in Acadeniiis vris 
(vestris) studerem, (et) dubio 
procnl in ista via p(er)ditionis 
perrexissem, nisi Deus pater 
niisericordiarum niei misertus, 
oculos mentis meae aperuisset, 
et radiis salutaris Chri (Christi) 
ejnsq(ue) mentoru(m) cogniti- 
onis illustrasset ; et a mortuis 
vris (vestris) idolis ad Deum 
vern(m), et salutis fontem Chru 
(Christum) p(er)duxisset, ex quo 
postquam bibi nunqua(m) ves- 
tras aridas cisternas repetere 
desideravi. 

Sed ad hoc annitor, et usq(ue) 
ad vitae meae meta(m) quam 
sine dubio jam agens 57 aetatis 
annu(m) prope attigi annitar, 
ut a potestate diaboli, dominio 
peccati, et damnatione inferni 
solius Chri (Christi) sanguine 
lil^eratus, ipsum colam, et ei 
servia(m) omnibus vitae meae 
diebus. 



Tandem mi Dne (Domine) Le 
Movne concludo, et quod mihi in 
tuo epistolio proposuisti, idipsum 
tibi repono : videlicet Deum non 
cultum aut memoria(m),* sed 
cor ipsum et voluntatem ex- 
igere. Idcirco abs te efflagito, 
ut tandem aliq(ua)ndo jam sub 
canescentibus annis, quos tu una 
niem(mecum) attigisti, per- 
pendas, quid Chro (Christo) 



long a time wandered from 
the true Church of Christ, and 
strayed from the way of salva- 
tion; since in my youth, even to 
the age of twenty-three 3'ears, I 
remained in popery. I stud- 
ied in your Colleges, and doubt- 
less would have persisted in 
that way of perdition, had 
not God, the Father of mercies, 
pitied me, and opened the eyes of 
my mind, and by the rays of 
the salutary knowledge of Christ 
and of His merits enlightened 
me, and conducted me from 
your dead idols to the true God, 
and to Christ, the fountain of 
salvation ; from which, having 
once drunk, I have never desired 
to visit again your empty 
cisterns. 

But I am now striving, and I 
will continue to strive, even to 
the end of my life (to which 
doubtless I have already almost 
attained, since I am now fiftj^- 
seven years of age), for this, viz., 
that liberated by the blood of 
Christ alone, from the power of 
the devil, and the dominion of 
sin, and the damnation of hell, I 
may w^orship Him and serve 
Him all the days of my life. 

At length, my dear Mr. Le 
Moyne, I conclude; and as to 
what 3^ou have laid before me in 
your letter, this very same thing 
I now put to you, namely: that 
God does not demand ceremony 
or memorial monuments, but the 
very heart and will. Therefore 1 
beg of you, even now in your de- 
clining years to which you have 



already come, as well as mj^self, 
In ecclesiastical Latin Memoria means monument, tomb, church or altar, as 



a Tiiemorial of the person who built it. 



20 



universali judici ad judicandum 
venienti sis responsurus et 
qualem ratione(m) villicationis 
tuae ei sis redditurus. Quamvis 
enim 20 annos (ut mihi narrasti) 
regiones Americanos pertran- 
siisti, et in eis vagatus sis, inter 
barbaros vixeris, plurimos 
eoru(m) baptizaveris vel potius 
baptisniu(m) profanaveris dum 
dando infidelibus, agonizantibus, 
nulla veri Dei et Salvatoris cog- 
nitione imbutis, sicut saepius fui 
expertus, q(ua)ndo cum talibus 
Barbaris, qui vel a te vel a tui 
siniilibus baptizanti erant, lo- 
cutus sum, et nihil de Chris- 
tianismo tenebant nisi quod vro 
(vestro) more poterant cruce(m) 
formare, et idola vra (vestra) 
quae habetis in templis vris 
(vestris) laudare, caetero quin 
erant fures, scortatores, etc., ut 
alii Barbari. 



Licet inquam haec feceris, et 
tales barbaros ta(m) vivos quam 
agonizantes et semimortuos 
baptizaveris et baptizatos ex 
opere operato aqua baptismi 
ablui putaveris ; tamen non male 
in te quadrat illud (verbum) Chri 
(Christi) : Vae vobis, Scribae et 
Pharisaei, hypocritae, quo- 
nia(m) circu(m) itis mare et 
terra(m), ut faciatis unu(m) 
proselytum, et cu(m) factus 
fuerit, facitis eu(m) filiu(m) 
gehennae duplo magis quam vos 
sitis. Non enim homines ex Gen- 



that you would ponder what 
you will respond to Christ, the 
Universal Judge, when He comes 
for judgment; and what ac- 
count of your stewardship you 
will render Him. For although 
for twenty years as you have 
told me, you have traversed the 
regions of America, and have 
wandered about in them ; have 
lived among savages, and have 
baptized very many of them, or 
rather profaned baptism; since 
in giving it to non-believers, and 
to men in the agonies of death, 
who were not possessed of an^' 
proper knowledge of the true 
God and Saviour, as I have often 
found out w^hen I have spoken 
with such savages who have 
been baptized by 3^ou or those 
like 3' ou, and who had no know- 
ledge whatever of Christianity, 
except that according to your 
custom, they were able to make 
the sign of the Cross, and to 
praise those idols of yours which 
you have in your churches ; but 
who in other respects were 
thieves, whoremongers, etc., 
even as other barbarians : 

And though I say that you 
have done these things, and 
have baptized such barbarians, 
both living and dying, and even 
when half-dead ; and have 
thought that such baptized ones, 
by the mere outward ceremony, 
were cleansed b\' the waters ol 
baptism : nevertheless, that word 
of Christ does not apply badly 
to 3'ou : Woe unto you, Scribes, 
and Pharisees, hypocrites, for 
ye compass sea and land to make 
one proselyte, and when he has 
been made, vou make him twice 



tilismo ad ChristianisiTiu(m), seel 
ex paganism o ad papismu(m) 
addiicitis; in quo rej)udiato 
unico sanguinis Chri (Cliristi) 
lytro, homines ad proprias et 
alioru(m) hominu(m) satisf'ac- 
tiones et merita remittitis et 
tandem chrismate extremo bene 
unctos ad igne(m) purga- 
toriu(m) ablegatis. 



Catastrophes loco te com- 
mendo Deo, patri omnis gratiae, 
ejusq(ue) filio Jesu Chro (Chris- 
to), quern precabor ut te per 
Spiritu(m) S. ex erroru(m) 
tuorum ambagibus extractum, 
ad veram Chri (Christi) 
ejusq(ue) meritoru(m) cogni- 
tione(m) perducat, ut comper- 
iaris in Chro (Christo), non 
habens propria(m) imagi- 
iiaria(m) justitia(m), sed ea(m) 
quae ex Deo est per fidem Christi 
ut in eum credens vitam aeter- 
nam habeas. Amen. 

Amstelrodami in Neo-Belgio, 
nonis Juny. 

Tuus tuoru(m)q(ue) ex animi 
affectu usq(ue) ad aras.* 

Johannes Megapolensis. 



Epigraph hrat 
Doctissitno Dno. 
Moyne. 



Simon Le 
Kihecum. 



as much a son of gehenna as 
yourselves. For you do not lead 
men from Gentilism to Christian- 
\ty, but only from paganism to 
popery; in which the unique ran- 
som price of the blood of Christ is 
repudiated ; and 3^ou refer men to 
their own satisfactions and 
merits and those of other men ; 
and at length, having w^ell a- 
nointed them with the "extreme 
unction," send them away to 
purgatorial fire. 

In conclusion, I commend you 
to God the Father of all grace, 
and to His Son, Jesus Christ ; to 
whom I will pray, that you may 
be released from the entangle- 
ments of 3^our errors by His 
Holy Spirit, and that He may 
lead you to the true knowledge 
of Christ and of His merits ; and 
that you may be found in Christ, 
not having your own imaginary 
righteousness, but that which is 
of God, through faith in Christ, 
that believing in Him, you may 
have eternal life. Amen. 

(New) Amsterdam in New 
Netherland on June 13th [1658]. 

Thine and Yours, w^ith affec- 
tion of heart even to the Altars. 

John Megapolensis. 

The Address was 

To the very learned Mr. Simon 

Le Moyne. 

Quebec. 



*This subscription is interesting and suggestive. Domine Megapolensis had 
saved several Jetuits, among the Mohawks, from torture or death, as Fathers 
Joques, Bressani, Poncet, etc. See the beginning of his letter in the Introduction. 
This subscription seems to allude to his kindly feelings toward them, notwithstand- 
ing their errors, and it might be freely rendered— Your friend, and the friend of the 
members of your Society, up to your [Romish] altars, but no further. 

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